To meet each other again
by Sissy
Summary: /based on the movie/ Wataru to this day cannot tell Mitsuru about the events in Vision. What happens when Mitsuru starts getting curious about Wataru's weekend trips? Will he like what he finds out? /mitsuruwataru/


**Title:** To meet each other again**  
Author:** Sissy

**Warnings:** Based on the MOVIE; I haven't even read the book. Just about the first chapter of the manga, which is where the proof of traveler comes from. Angst, fluff, shonen-ai. And yes, OOC.**  
Disclaimer:** Brave Story DOES NOT belong to me. All characters belong to the creator, Miyuki Miyabe. Movie rights go to Gonzo and Warner Bros., etc, etc, etc…

_{Mitsuru~!}  
{Mitsuru! … Mitsuru!}  
{Because I'm your friend.}  
{Mitsuru…}  
{I'm sorry.}  
{Because…}  
{Don't say it's the end! Let's go home together!}  
{When we get home, we'll go to school…play soccer and games…go to middle school.}  
{Mitsuru!}  
{No! I don't want to leave you here alone!}  
{Don't joke around! You're definitely coming home with me! No matter what, I'm taking you home!}  
{Mitsuru! … Mitsuru?}  
{Mitsuru? Mitsuru!}  
{Don't go! Mitsuru!}  
{Hey, Mitsuru!}  
{MITSURU~!}_

Ashikawa Mitsuru woke up with a startled jump. Again. Again the same dreamed plagued him. Wataru's voice seemed far away but insistent in calling him. He was crying as well. How many times had he woken up from dreaming of Wataru's tears and cries?

"_Onii-chan_? Did you…again…?" His younger sister, Ashikawa Aya, knocked on the door of his room. It had been quite some time now since Mitsuru trusted his sister with the dreams he'd been having.

"Yeah, sorry if I woke you up. Is there time to make breakfast?" Mitsuru asked with a smile, though his sister could not see him.

"Yeah! So hurry up and get dressed!" Aya spoke with glittering happiness from behind the door and Mitsuru heard her leave.

Mitsuru got out of bed and changed into his _gakuran_ uniform. He was already sixteen, which meant he had known the boy in his dreams, Mitani Wataru, for more than 5 years. He could still remember the first time they met. Wataru had jumped on him, screaming his name frantically with tears in his eyes. When Mitsuru asked who he was, Wataru had taken a while to compose himself and apologize. After that, because Wataru had been obsessed with making it up to Mitsuru for causing such a scene, the two had become such good friends.

"Aya, did you finish breakfast or do you have something for me to do?" Although the girl was in middle school, he still worried about her. Ever since they lost their parents, Mitsuru had wanted to protect his sister from anything and everything. He remembered how he once spoke to Wataru about his past. The reply which came after the troubled face was something that confused Mitsuru, though he had initially been worried about his friend's treatment.

_{I see… I guess Mitsuru cares a lot about his sister. Kinda like how I care about my mom…}_ He had spoken with a somewhat sad smile.

_{Isn't it obvious that I care about my sister since she's my only family?}_ Mitsuru had retorted back.

_{Ah… Aah… Yeah, I guess that's true. Sorry, that was weird.}_ Wataru had apologized and never spoke of the subject again. Mitsuru wasn't sure if it was because Wataru was being conscious of him.

_{Silly Wataru.}_ Mitsuru had replied before they continued the soccer match that had been stopped for a while. Wataru only weakly laughed at Mitsuru but quickly recovered to play with his friends.

"_Onii-chan_, can you set the plates?" Aya asked with a smile. They had originally been living with an uncle but once Mitsuru entered high school and started working, he had asked his uncle to let him live with his sister by themselves. They were still sent some monthly allowance and the rent was paid by his uncle, but Mitsuru hoped to pay him back quickly and make a living so that he could provide for his sister by himself.

"Alright. Smells good." Ignoring that his first question had been ignored, Mitsuru complied with his sister's request and set the table. He placed some juice in cups as Aya set the food on the plates.

"_Ittadakimasu_." They both said before digging in. Aya would make a wonderful housewife someday, Mitsuru noted while eating. They were quiet most of the time as they enjoyed each other's company when Aya asked a simple question.

"_Onii-chan_, do you think you dream of Wataru-_san_ because you like him?" Aya's question was innocent but it still caused her big brother to choke.

"A-A-A-Aya!" He screamed, a clear blush on his face. "Are you trying to kill your _onii-chan_?" Mitsuru tried to breathe again after the question.

"But it's normal to wonder. After all, Wataru-_san_ is ferociously known even in the middle school for his childish face, the fact that you're both soccer prodigies and because of his crush." Yes, the infamous crush. Wataru was a social person and he got his fair share of confessions, but the boy always responded the same.

_{I'm sorry. I have someone I like. It's someone whom I shared a lot of memories with, so I want to wait until I can find them. Because we can't see each other right now, I want to wait for the day that we can be together again…} _Wataru always responded with a clear blush that caused a lot of students to label him the 'romantic idiot'. It didn't help that he did not want to reveal the name of the said crush, which caused a lot of students to become curious.

"Besides, our family doesn't need heirs or whatever. If anything, I can get someone to marry into our family. And _onii-chan_ always looks happy when he's with Wataru-_san_." Aya smiled aloofly and gave her big brother a thumbs-up but he only sighed worriedly. He'd never thought about it that way, but Wataru's dream tears only stung a bit his heart.

"Can we go now?" Mitsuru stood up with the plate and cup in hand and headed to the kitchen to clean the tableware.

"_Onii-chan_ is no fun to tease." Aya giggled and followed suit after her brother. Once that was done, both left the apartment they were in. Going down the staircase, they headed to the nearby high school and middle school, though they separated partway since they were on almost opposite directions.

"Mitsuru!" The voice that plagued his dreams recently was heard, this time, in real life.

"Wataru!" Mitsuru turned around and smiled at his friend. "You're up early." He noted.

"Eh? Ah! You're right!" Wataru looked at the watch he had recently bought. "Damn, I didn't look at it since mom was already out and my alarm clock said I was late. Did she prank me?" The boy wondered but quickly smiled. "Anyways! I don't walk with Mitsuru in the mornings so this is a nice change of pace, right?"

"Ah, yeah." Mitsuru was so caught up in watching Wataru's changing expressions that he felt somewhat guilty. What if Aya was right? That thought nagged him for a while but he tried to change his mood.

On the way to school, they met their friend Katchan. The boy seemed insistent on trying out every kind of haunted story, so every other week, they'd hold courage test wherever a rumor was heard. Wataru could not forget that it was this very kind of thing that caused him to first meet Mitsuru and eventually learn about Vision. But this Mitsuru did not have those memories, as much as they were dear to Wataru. The boy had learned the hard way five years ago to never mention anything about Vision to Mitsuru. His sister was alive and that's all Mitsuru needed to worry about. There was no need to mention the things Mitsuru did in order to achieve his goal. So Wataru was pleased with just having become friends with Mitsuru again.

The day passed rather quickly that by the time they got out all that was on the threesome's mind was one thing; soccer. Changing outfits, they headed to the field to play. High school level soccer was more intense than when they played in their younger days. Though Wataru and Mitsuru were not part of the team, both participated in a lot of the practices of the soccer club and would often be asked to sub in for some regular member. The reason was that they were very good, but since Mitsuru often had a part-time job to attend to and Wataru kept saying he wanted his weekends free, neither was recruited any further.

"Good job today you two." Katchan, who was a member of the club said with a joyful smile. He enjoyed whenever his two friends joined him in practice. Wataru gave him a thumbs-up as he got changed. "Hey Wataru, are you free this weekend?" Katchan tried asking again. He always got the same answer every time, so it worried him a bit.

"You know I'm never free during the weekend. Whatever you want to do will have to wait until Sunday in the afternoon." Wataru told him with a pout.

"But by then it'll be too late! It has to be Friday and Saturday evening." Katchan told him with an equal pout and Wataru froze for a second.

"Why then?" He asked, trying to smile and Mitsuru noticed it.

"They say the shrine on the hill not far from here is cursed. On Fridays and Saturdays, you can see a lights coming from the temple. It's as if someone is doing some summoning ritual." Katchan said, trying to scare Wataru since the boy rarely got scared anymore.

"Ah, I see." Wataru spoke halfheartedly, trying to think of something and Mitsuru noticed his look.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked, surprising Wataru and earning a yelp from the boy. "You have your thinking face, like you're trying to come up with a solution."

"It's nothing! Don't worry about it!" Wataru assured him but wasn't sure how much Mitsuru would trust him. Trying to change the subject he asked, "Are you guys done yet? I want to go home."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm done." Mitsuru smiled, knowing full well that Wataru was changing the subject. Katchan agreed with Mitsuru's words and both followed their slightly smaller yet energetic friend.

Going into a convenience store, which was the one Mitsuru worked part-time, all three boys bought some ice cream and sat outside to eat it. Laughing for a while, Katchan let slide the earlier talk about the shrine but eventually made up his mind to go this Friday. He'd make the plans and then ask Wataru to go with him. Mitsuru would go, but the boy felt less motivated sometimes unless Wataru went as well. Eventually, they went each of their respective ways and a few days passed with their normal routines until Friday arrived.

"Wataru, do you want me to make some more snacks for your friends?" Wataru's mom asked from the kitchen. Six months had passed since Wataru had told her the truth about what he did during the weekends. Although she wanted to meet these friends of Wataru, she knew that she couldn't.

That was because Wataru was going to Vision between Friday night and Saturday night. Six months ago, he found the door again and was allowed passage as a traveler. Although he could just search for the gems to gain another wish from the Goddess of Fortune, what Wataru wanted this time was to talk to someone about the past and rekindle the friendship between the friends he left behind. The reason for this main excuse to go to Vision was that six months ago, Wataru came to a realization. One that would involve talking to Mitsuru about the past, which was something Wataru wanted to avoid at all costs.

"I can't carry a lot _okaa-san_, you know that." Wataru smiled, bringing a small backpack to the dining table. Helping his mother put the food in containers; they finished by leaving the food inside a pair of plastic bags.

"Are you leaving early today? You usually prepare your bag a lot later." Wataru's mom made some tea for the two and served her son some.

"I'm a bit worried about what Katchan said earlier this week." Wataru looked a bit glum as he drank the tea. "Just in case, I've set up early." As he said that, the phone rang. Wataru got up to answer it and from the other side the joyful voice of Katchan.

[Wataru! Since Ashikawa is getting out around eleven, we'll be heading to the shrine after that. You sure you don't want to come with us?] Katchan had asked and Wataru paled. Looking over to the clock on the wall, Wataru saw that it was nearly nine in the evening.

"Sorry. I'm actually leaving now to a friend's place." Wataru told him and hung up. "_Okaa-san_, I need to go now!" He turned to face his mother with a worried face.

"Alright. _Itterashai_." She answered with a smile.

"_Ittekimasu_!" Wataru gave her a kiss on the cheek and grabbed his backpack and the two plastic bags before running out of the apartment. 'If I make it there early, Katchan shouldn't be there.' He thought to himself.

But while Wataru was frantically running towards the shine, hoping not to run into anyone, Mitsuru was calling Katchan from a public payphone.

"Yeah, they let me off early. Should we head there now to make plans?" Mitsuru stood outside the convenience store he worked at.

[Ah, then I'll go round up everyone! You know, that Wataru hung up on me! Even though I haven't given up on getting him to accompany us on our outings.] Katchan was venting his frustrations on Mitsuru and the boy knew so. He couldn't help but laugh. Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw the very person they were talking about.

'Wataru?' He almost thought out loud as he watched the boy running frantically while looking at his watch. "I'll meet you at the shrine, alright?" Although he asked, Mitsuru didn't wait for the answer and quickly hung up. Making sure he didn't leave anything on the floor, Mitsuru ran after Wataru silently to not alert his friend. Something felt odd.

As he followed Wataru, Mitsuru realized the boy was heading to the shrine/temple where Mitsuru was meeting Katchan and the other people he invited. Going up the stairs while making sure Wataru didn't see him was a bit difficult but Mitsuru managed to climb up the stairs and hide from Wataru's view.

"…" Wataru grabbed hold of the pendant in his neck. There was the proof of a Traveler and the small triple horn that looked like coral. "Okay!" As if now resolute, Wataru walked over to the shrine doors and opened them with straightforward eyes. Mitsuru, who had planned on getting in Wataru's way to question him, was now staring in his direction in shock.

Inside the shrine, there were some stairs that looked like they went on for miles, but Mitsuru should've known that it wasn't possible. Something like that was out of a fantasy story. When Wataru disappeared from his sight, Mitsuru ran towards the boy. At the front of the shrine doors, Mitsuru noticed from afar, the giant twin doors and saw them open. When Wataru walked towards the light emitted from the other side of those twin doors, Mitsuru screamed out Wataru's name. Wataru, who kept walking, looked back in horror to see Mitsuru. Turning his head away, Wataru disappeared into the light.

"Ashikawa?" Katchan's voice caused the boy to look back. "That was fast. The others are meeting us here soon. What's wrong?"

"You…didn't see the light?" Mitsuru questioned his friend who looked shocked. He hadn't noticed any light and was a bit annoyed that he missed it. This meant that the light would probably not show up again for the night.

Mitsuru stared at the inside of the shrine which now looked normal as it should and wondered where Wataru was now. But that boy was still trying to recover from the shock of seeing Mitsuru so close to the gate. As he fell from the sky, the wind blew the horn for him and suddenly, Wataru found himself on top of a semi-large dragon.

Making enough noises to alert Wataru, the dragon finally caught his attention when Wataru spoke, "Sorry Jozo! Thanks for picking me up." He passed his hand on top of the pinkish dragon. "Say, Jozo… I… What should I do now…?" Wataru was a mess and Jozo headed down. Leading Wataru to a town, Jozo picked up Wataru with his mouth and dropped the boy on top of a carriage, watching how his friend fell.

"Wataru!" The kitkin, Meena, now a lot older and prettier, wrapped her arms around her beloved Wataru. Since they met 5 years ago, Meena had a lot of respect for Wataru. That turned to a slight crush but was quickly destroyed after Wataru came back.

"Ah! Meena!" Wataru noticed that Meena was hugging him and hugged the cat girl back. "Wait! This isn't the time! Meena! This is terrible!" Pulling the girl away from him, Wataru looked frantic as he spoke.

"Is that your mom's food?" The owner of the carriage, the waterkin Kee Keeman, spoke as he got down and took the bags Wataru still had in his hands.

"Ah… Yeah… No, wait! You guys! Listen to me!" Wataru was desperate to speak about this. While the two agreed to listen to him, they took him under a tree to eat and talk. Wataru explained first about Katchan going to where the gate was showing up then the fact that Mitsuru would be there, then how he had to leave early but Mitsuru somehow showed up and saw Wataru pass through the gate.

"I see. Why don't you just tell him? He's your friend, isn't he? It's not nice to keep secrets from your friends." Kee Keeman tried to scold the young boy.

"Kee Keeman! You should know that Wataru can't do that. Mitsuru's sins won't go away, but Wataru wants to protect Mitsuru from remembering the bad things he did." Meena scolded the taller being.

"That's right. I don't know how to even BEGIN explaining to him about it. After all, Mitsuru was doing everything he could to wish for his sister's revival. That harsh reality is something I can't make Mitsuru go through again. Mitsuru is happy now!" Wataru told Kee Keman, trembling slightly.

"Alright, I get it. Sorry Wataru." Kee Keeman apologized as he slightly pet Wataru's head. Once the boy was calm, Meena took the food away from Kee Keeman since he was about to eat it all. After that, they cleaned up and all of them fell asleep in the camp they set up.

Early the next morning, Wataru was wide awake and kept thinking happy thoughts as he changed into his new Hero equipment Lau Doshi had given him after the trial. Even though he had been a Traveler five years ago, when he returned to Vision, he was made to take the trial again. Wataru was glad that his score had gone up in five years. But what troubled him now was that he knew he would have to leave Vision earlier or a lot later otherwise he might run into Mitsuru. Even he wouldn't stay up all night to watch the shrine. Once the others woke up, they headed to the next town to find another friend. Kattsu, a leader of the Highlanders welcomed Wataru with open arms and they sparred for a while before Wataru and Meena patrolled the town, since Meena had been made a Highlander as well. Kee Keeman continued with his merchant job while Wataru was away and soon night fell.

But Wataru could not sleep. He headed out of the inn and found Kattsu waiting for him outside. It seems that she heard from Meena about Mitsuru. Inviting him to another sparring practice, Wataru was kept entertained until much after midnight.

"Wataru, whatever you decide to do, just know that you have friends behind you. We don't really like the Mitsuru from before, but that is your friend as well. If you believe that it's best not to tell him, know that I disagree. I think he should know the damage he made to this world, but what you want to give him is happiness. The same kind of happiness you wished for us. That's why I'll be behind your decision of keeping quiet." She lectured him with a smile.

"Katsu-_san_… Thank you…" Wataru smiled, glad to know that he could count on the friends he made here. With the fourth gem he obtained again after visiting Vision every Saturday for six months, Wataru turned his Hero's Sword into the flying sword and mounted it.

"Wataru!" Meena showed up and tossed him his backpack with all his stuff. Wataru caught it and thanked his friend. Flying off, he disappeared with a bright light.

Once back in the real world, Wataru opened the doors to the shrine very carefully. Looking around, he didn't see anyone in the vicinity and started walking away when he heard the one voice he didn't want to hear, calling his name. Turning around, he saw Mitsuru standing near the shrine. He had hidden himself from view but at a place where he could see if Wataru was walking away. When Wataru looked at Mitsuru sadly, he could feel his own determination slipping.

"Wataru, where were you? What was with that door?" Mitsuru walked forward and Wataru almost felt their roles reversed if not for the fact that he didn't want to have this talk with Mitsuru.

"…" Looking away and trying to think of something to say, Wataru was building up his determination again to not tell Mitsuru the truth.

"Don't try to lie to me Wataru! I can tell if you're lying! It gets written all over your face!" Mitsuru ran towards Wataru and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"I don't want to have this talk with you Mitsuru." Wataru said frankly. At the very least, that was not a lie. But it still angered Mitsuru.

"Wataru! What are you hiding from me? Aren't we friends?" Mitsuru felt very worried about Wataru.

"I can't tell you. I don't WANT to tell you." Wataru looked away, but it only served to increase Mitsuru's anger.

"Idiot! Don't keep everything to yourself! What are you hiding?" Mitsuru shook Wataru a little, but Wataru was already having flashbacks of the truth.

_{Mitani? Why are you…?}  
{As usual, such a softie. Aren't you…Wataru?}  
{I… Where did I go wrong?}  
{Why do you need to apologize?}  
{Wataru… You won. Be more happy.}  
{Why are you crying?}  
{Really, until the end…you're nothing but a softie.}  
{I lost. I'll die here. I couldn't change my destiny.}  
{Now, go… Just leave me here.}  
{Idiot! That's enough!}  
{I don't mind…being alone.}  
{Is that Aya?}  
{I see… At last…}  
{I'm home…}_

"No… Don't go…" Wataru murmured before starting to cry. All his strength was leaving his body.

"Wataru?" Mitsuru's voice called the boy back and Wataru realized he was crying. Taking a step back since Mitsuru had let go of his shoulders, Wataru made a run for it and Mitsuru chased after him. Usually, both boys could keep up with each other, but Wataru wanted to escape. After a sharp turn, Wataru disappeared from Mitsuru's view. Because he did not know how it happened, he figured Wataru must have hid in a house somewhere but would eventually go home. So Mitsuru gave up for the night and headed back to his own home. He could find Wataru tomorrow.

But although he went over to Wataru's house the next day, his mother told him he couldn't see Wataru.

"He cried himself to sleep last night. Really, I'm a bit worried. He kept calling your name and was apologizing nonstop. Don't get angry with him like that." She bonked his head, scolding him and Mitsuru accepted the scolding with regret. "Anyways, I need to go out to buy some stuff. Can you keep an eye out for Wataru while I'm out?" She asked with a smile as she grabbed her wallet.

"Ah, sure." Mitsuru looked a bit worried but she kept smiling as she left the apartment. Not sure of what to do, Mitsuru decided to sit down in the living room and turned on the TV.

It was another hour before Wataru got up and showed his face in the living room with a face that looked out of it. "_Okaa-san_, is there anything to eat?" He asked, still rubbing his tired and bloodshot eyes.

"Your mom went out to buy some stuff. She hasn't come back yet." Mitsuru spoke from the sofa and Wataru looked towards his friend in shock. Not sure of what to say, Wataru glared at Mitsuru.

"What are you doing here Ashikawa?" Demoting his name was the only thing Wataru could do to insult his friend. Wataru walked over to the kitchen and looked for some food in the kitchen fridge but didn't find anything so he closed it with fury.

"So now it's Ashikawa, Wataru? Are you angry with me for worrying about you? And I won't apologize for making you cry until you tell me what I did to make you cry." Mitsuru said seriously, ignoring his friend's demotion of him.

"I won't say. Do you want me to cry again? Mitsuru is an idiot." The last sentence he said in a murmur. Wataru was really angry. He didn't want to have THAT talk with Mitsuru, even if it broke their friendship. Making Mitsuru sad from remembering the past was something he wouldn't be able to bear. So he had to hold it in. He would never tell Mitsuru the truth. No matter what, that was the one secret he wanted to protect.

"Wataru, what are you getting yourself into? I'm worried about you." Mitsuru repeated the same kind of words as he stood up and walked closer to Wataru. Wataru reacted to Mitsuru's movements and stepped back a bit, but hit the wall very soon. "Wataru, I'm worried. Be honest with me." Mitsuru put his two arms to Wataru's sides, blocking his path. When Wataru blushed from the position, since he didn't know what Mitsuru was planning, Mitsuru himself noticed what he was doing, and what it looked like, and froze.

"Wataru, Mitsuru-_kun_, I'm back." Wataru's mom opened the front door and Wataru took the chance to escape from under Mitsuru's arms.

"_O-okairinasai_, _okaa-san_." Wataru welcomed her back and helped her with the bags. Mitsuru tried to help as well, but Wataru's mom ordered him to stay in the living room. When the phone rang, Wataru picked it up to hear Katchan on the other end. The friend had called him to ask for help on homework and invited both Wataru and Mitsuru to his house to go over the assignment they had. Wataru agreed and quickly went to change clothes.

"Don't you think he's trying to protect something by not saying anything?" Wataru's mom suddenly asked Mitsuru the moment Wataru disappeared to his room, while she made some food for them.

"Do you know about what we were arguing about?" Mitsuru asked worriedly.

"I told you, I heard Wataru's cries last night. I'm not an idiot. And besides, I forced Wataru to tell me the truth. But before you ask, I won't tell you either. That's Wataru's secret and his to divulge." She told him, a bit scolding him and continued with her work.

When Wataru came out, he sat in the living room, far from Mitsuru, while waiting for his mom to finish preparing the food. Once she was done, both Wataru and Mitsuru sat in the dining table to eat the offered food. While Wataru pretended nothing was wrong so as not to worry his mom, his mother was in turn, pretending she didn't know anything. After finishing their food, both helped clean the plates and left the apartment after saying goodbye. As they walked towards Katchan's place, Wataru was the first to speak.

"Don't think I'm telling you anything Ashikawa. Until you've calmed down and accepted that I won't ever tell you about what my business is, I'll keep calling you that way." Wataru told him, making his demands clear.

"I won't give up so easily. Besides, while I've been living with the fact that you've kept some stuff to yourself, just this one I won't let slide. You came back injured just once. You never told anyone the truth of how it happened, but I know it has to do with that business. I hate it how you won't trust me." Mitsuru looked hurt and Wataru knew that keeping this secret probably hurt Mitsuru, but the truth would be even more devastating.

Though their relationship was now on the edge, that even Katchan felt worried, neither made a move during the passing week. Then, on Friday, Wataru prepared to leave early but met Katchan at the shrine. Because the boy did not want to miss the phenomenon again, he showed up early. Making up an excuse, Wataru excused himself and left the area. Mitsuru on the other hand, had requested the weekend off and after picking up his sister, since Wataru had disappeared on him after class, he accompanied his sister home. Changing clothes, he headed to the shrine.

"Ashikawa? Are you joining me here tonight?" Katchan asked, calling Mitsuru to the bushes to hide.

"No, I'm looking for Wataru. Do you know where he is?" Mitsuru asked him quickly.

"Actually he was here earlier. He said he was worried about me. I told him I was fine. Nothing is going to stop me from seeing that phenomenon." Katchan said with glee, paying close attention to the shrine.

"Do you know where he went?" Mitsuru continued, ignoring Katchan's plans.

"Well, he said he was going to visit someone in the next town over, but I don't know where exactly." Katchan replied with a shrug.

"I see then. Thanks." Mitsuru smiled and left the area, hoping to find Wataru soon. Looking around the town would prove difficult enough, but somehow, his feet were leading him somewhere. That somewhere he hoped is where Wataru laid.

"I don't want Mitsuru to suffer. That alone is not a lie." Wataru murmured to himself and the light provided an answer to Mitsuru's quest.

"That way?" Mitsuru looked to the left and ran in direction of the faint light. Once he passed the buildings in his way he found a hidden shrine with a small park next to it. Climbing the small staircase in front of the small area, Mitsuru stared at the Tengu gate he passed under. Looking around he saw no one there so he figured Wataru must be gone. Cursing at himself for not arriving in time, Mitsuru felt more and more helpless for not being able to help his friend or gain his trust.

_{What about the floating door I saw?}  
{It hurts like hell.}  
{But…thanks to you, I was saved.}  
{Ouch!}  
{I'm not your daddy.}  
{You look more pampered than me.}  
{You can still see them if you want to.}  
{What do you mean you can make your wishes come true?}_

Suddenly, Mitsuru's head hurt. He could hear voices. Two people's conversations. "It hurts." Mitsuru whispered to himself, grabbing hold of his aching head.

_{It stings. My mouth is all cut up inside.} _Looking to the bench, he could faintly see the body of two children. But he didn't know them. Yet…they felt so familiar. "Who…?" He wondered.

_{_Ne_, _ne_… Is there something behind that door?} _As the pain increased, he turned to the gate and saw the two children again.

_{Ashikawa!} _He could see it. From behind the trees he could see Wataru's body. That was Wataru. No doubt about it. But…"What's going on?" Mitsuru screamed to anyone. What confused him was that he heard his last name being called in those visions.

Then, the bright light was seen. Coming from the forest, Mitsuru felt no hesitation. As he ran towards that glowing light, his surroundings changed and he felt himself climbing stairs. At the end were the giant twin doors. Wataru was on the other side of this door, he knew. Small doubt increased in his heart and he felt he shouldn't pass through. But he wanted to change Wataru's mind. He wanted the boy to have no choice but to tell him the truth.

"I'm coming Wataru! I'm coming after you right now!" He yelled to the door and walked through.

Then…he felt himself falling. Caught by surprised, he screamed. After that, he felt the softness of feathers. A bunch of birds began to carry him and he could barely hear their voices as he was dropped down a hole. As light lit up, statues began speaking to him. Offering him courage, wisdom, vitality or happiness, what he wanted was the means to obtain his wish. After hearing this answer, the statues began to follow him. Running away, while opening the doors around him, he remembered the words of the birds speaking to him and ran towards one of the statues which led him to the way out.

"Congratulations Mitsuru. That was faster than last time, but Wataru managed to better his time as well." The old man who could be none other than Lau Doshi, appeared from the sky.

"Last time?" Mitsuru wondered and the old man coughed.

"In any case, your test results." Lau Doshi received the board from one of his birds and recited the results to Mitsuru. "Overall, 90 points. Well, you did good. I equip you as a 'Sword Mage'." Lau Doshi gave Mitsuru a new outfit befitting of his title, along with a gem and the proof of a Traveler. "Now go. I'm sure you have your reasons for coming here." Lau Doshi told him and blew him away, completely ignoring Mitsuru's cries for information on Wataru or what was going on.

Landing in the desert, he found himself wondering what he should do and where should he head. As he tried to fish for information in his head, it began to hurt again.

_{What? You can't even use "air ladder"?}_

"Air ladder!" Mitsuru brought out his sword and cast a spell. The second after that, he felt himself floating in the sky. Smiling, he went in a certain direction to which he didn't know the destination.

After what felt like an hour of flying, Mitsuru arrived at an unknown town and was initially surprised by the inhabitant's structure as they headed inside. Heading in with the other creatures and people that were also entering the town, he found no problem with the guards. Looking around the trading town of Gasala, Mitsuru thought that this place might be just a tad bit too big for him. Deciding to head to the center of town, where the tree was, he found a circus tent first. The people coming out of the tent seemed content so Mitsuru figured that the show must be over. Going inside, he found the stage to be quite big. Then he noticed that an acrobat was now beginning some practice lessons for someone else. Sitting down, he began to think of how to look for Wataru.

"Hey… That's…" The kitkin noticed the boy in the stands and quickly recognized him from the past and from the photo Wataru had showed before. Going down the high wire and running to the stands, she jumped with great agility. "Meena Kick!" She declared as she kicked the bewildered Mitsuru.

"What the hell's your problem?" Mitsuru quickly screamed at the kitkin as he stood back up.

"The tent is closed after hours for practice!" She scolded him for a completely different reason than the one she kicked him for.

"You could've just said that!" Mitsuru argued with her, rubbing his cheek.

"I don't like you! You should've just stayed in your world! Then Wataru wouldn't need to be so sad!" Meena revealed her connection to Wataru and Mitsuru looked surprised at her.

"You know Wataru?" Mitsuru asked, grabbing her shoulders, "Where is he?"

Meena was surprised that Mitsuru could make that kind of face, and smirked. "Wataru headed to the Ilda Empire to meet with an old friend. He wants to apologize to her. I told him he didn't need to do that, but Wataru is so stubborn." The last words she said with a pout. "Since Wataru has Jozo with him, he'll get there quickly, but by foot, you'll never reach him and he'll be back home before you even get halfway there."

"And if I fly?" Mitsuru asked her.

"Do you even know where to go though?" Meena quickly asked and Mitsuru looked glum. Smiling, she slapped his back. "Don't worry, if you take me with you, I'll guide you to Wataru!" She told him and ran over to the master of the Spectacle Machine Circus.

After saying good-bye to her friends, Meena met up with Mitsuru outside. He invoked the Air Ladder spell and Meena jumped on his back as they flew off. Being led by some stranger he didn't know was a bit worrying but Meena had told him that she was anxious to return to Wataru's side since her duty was over. When asked what the duty was, she answered that it was a personal one.

"Do you like Wataru or something?" Mitsuru asked and Meena blushed but quickly hit him on the head.

"Wataru likes someone else! As much as it frustrates me that he likes someone like that! I can't forgive that person! Wataru believed in them yet they selfishly did whatever they needed for their wish! Even though I can sympathize with their wish, they still made Wataru worry and cry!" Meena revealed a bit, but Mitsuru was left confused.

"You're telling me the crush Wataru has is someone that hurt him? How can he still like her?" Mitsuru was really worried about his friend now.

"Wow, you've really… Ah, no. In any case, that is something I'll keep quiet about for Wataru's sake." Meena said nothing more on the subject and Mitsuru figured the girl wouldn't give him anymore information related to that topic so he began asking about other things and gained information on the world they were on, the Travelers and the Goddess of Fortune and the gems. Though he wasn't interested in the wish, what bothered him was one thing.

"How did you know who I was or that I was related to Wataru?" He asked it.

"Wataru showed me a…what was it called again…? Oh! Photo! He showed me a photo of you, his mom and the friends he has in the other world." As she spoke, Meena was getting tired. It was already evening and Meena wanted sleep. Mitsuru kept her awake by forcing her to tell her stories about what Wataru was doing during the weekends he came here. Though she spoke about helping the Highlanders and such, what got him curious was the fact that Wataru was helping out in towns that were still affected by the attack five years ago.

He wanted more information, but Meena just said something about demons and a magician before she fell asleep. Deciding it was pretty late, Mitsuru landed near the shore and made a small camp in a cave before falling asleep.

_{Besides…You've heard, right? What I've done to get these gems?}  
{But, you must have a reason for it, right? Tell me.}  
{I want to believe you, Ashikawa.}  
{Like, you didn't know you were killing that many innocent people and animals.}  
{Isn't that right? That's why…}  
{Stop it!}  
{Mitani, what did you come here to do?}  
{Did you come to make friends with them? Or to protect the peace of Vision? Humph!}  
{I came to save my mother.}  
{I'm going to find the last gemstone…at the Ilda Empire.}  
{l can do whatever it takes…to make my wish come true.}_

"Aah!" Mitsuru screamed as he clutched his head. It hurt again and the dialogue between Wataru and someone unknown was beginning to become clearer. Why could Mitsuru see Wataru's memories? Or were they his? But that was impossible. Mitsuru had never been to Vision. That was his truth. But this person was doing something clearly wrong. That's why Wataru was sad. That's why he worried. Did he not want to tell Mitsuru because it was between him and the unknown person?

"Hey! You okay?" Meena came closer to Mitsuru and looked genuinely worried about him. If this person suffered, so would Wataru, is what she thought.

"I'm fine." Mitsuru lied. His head was killing him. The headaches were getting stronger. Looking outside, he saw the sun rising.

"Here. You need food." Meena offered him some unknown food that came from the waist pouch she had. Mitsuru needed his strength to cross to the Ilda Empire. Thanking her, Mitsuru ate as Meena grabbed another piece of food and ate herself. While they ate, Meena thought about Wataru's reaction when he'd see Mitsuru in Vision. 'He'll probably freak out…' Meena thought gloomily.

"What's wrong?" Mitsuru asked curiously and she simply shrugged the question by saying it was nothing.

After eating their food, they flew off again, hoping to cross the ocean quickly.

"Wataru-_san_? Welcome to the Ilda Empire again." Now Crowned Queen / Empress Zofie spoke after entering Wataru's room. Although Wataru arrived late last night, Zofie was still too busy to speak to him so he decided to rest while the girl finished her duties.

"Thank you Zofie-_sama_. It must be tough, looking after so many people." Wataru smiled tiredly at her but she shook her head.

"It's my duty, so I welcome it with open arms. Wataru-_san_, you rarely show your face to me. Did something happen to Mitsuru-_sama_?" She asked worriedly. Wataru barely had conversations with Zofie and he had promised her before to do everything he could to not let Mitsuru remember the past of his previous life.

"I must apologize, Zofie-_sama_… Mitsuru…he…saw me entering the door to this world." Wataru spoke, looking at the floor. He felt bad telling her this. Zofie was also worried about Mitsuru remembering his sins. She heard about his little sister dying before and how she was now alive so she also wished for Mitsuru's happiness.

"Please don't look so sad Wataru-_san_. If this is fate, we must face it head on. Wasn't that the reason you saved all of us in this world?" Zofie asked and he looked at her, tears slightly falling.

"But what's so wrong about wanting to avoid grief?" Wataru screamed, tears falling down his face.

_{As usual, such a softie. Aren't you…Wataru?}_

Wataru froze. He thought he heard his name. Wiping away his tears, he listened closely and heard Meena's voice getting closer and closer. Suddenly, the door to his room burst opened and Meena threw herself on top of Wataru.

"Goodness! I'll leave you two alone." Zofie laughed as she exited the room and began walking down the hallway. Pretty soon, a man she once knew appeared. "Hello Mitsuru-_sama_." She smiled at him softly.

"You…know me as well?" Mitsuru asked, wondering how many knew his name.

"You are Wataru-_san_'s friend. He has shown me a picture of you." Zofie semi-lied about that but kept the smile in place.

"That Wataru, how many people did he show my picture to?" Mitsuru felt a bit embarrassed.

"Just the people he trusts with the truth from five years ago." Zofie revealed and Mitsuru looked at her with shocked eyes. What did he have to do with what Wataru did here five years ago? Before he could ask, Zofie continued. "Five years ago, Wataru-_san_ saved this world from demons released by a Traveler who would do anything to make his wish come true." Zofie knew Wataru wouldn't like it if she talked about it, but Zofie had ties with Mitsuru as well, so she had a say in whether to tell Mitsuru or not.

"What does…?" Mitsuru was confused about the information she was giving him. He didn't know how it related to him.

"For the sake of his wish, he did many terrible things." Zofie hardened her gaze as Mitsuru's head hurt again. The images were still broken but he could almost hear all the voices.

_{If I obtain the dark gem, I can open the door to the Tower of the Future.}  
{Please…stop…}  
{Ashikawa!}  
{Don't! Ashikawa!}_

Falling to the floor from pain, Mitsuru didn't see Wataru and Meena enter the hallway. Both friends had a stoic face, but Wataru's showed pain. Screaming for help, he began to see more images.

_{Ashikawa, don't you care what happens to Vision?}  
{I don't care about Vision. I have things that are important! Mitani, you too!}  
{I think the same as you, Ashikawa. But that's wrong!}  
{It's fine if it's wrong, as long as I change my fate.}  
{So you think you'll find happiness this way, Ashikawa?}  
{Unless my wish is granted, there'll have been no meaning to coming to Vision!}  
{Then you're an idiot!}  
{You softie! Move aside!}  
{Ashikawa… I…don't want to fight against you.}  
{Shut up! You go back to your cushy life! I don't have that luxury!}_

'Luxury? Why? Who is this Ashikawa? It can't be me… I…' Mitsuru's head felt like splitting apart.

"For the sake of his little sister, he cast destruction on this world." Zofie continued but Mitsuru could barely hear her. Looking up, he saw Wataru's gaze. He didn't know that was behind it, but Wataru was remembering the same thing he was.

_{Just stop this… This isn't like you at all, Ashikawa.}  
{What do you mean 'not like me'? You… About me… Just what do you know?}_

That's right. At that time, Wataru learned the truth about Mitsuru. Looking away from Mitsuru's gaze with trouble, he failed to notice how much more pain Mitsuru felt by that.

"Ah!" Mitsuru screamed, not noticing how Wataru grabbed and squeezed Meena's hand for support.

"And that Traveler was you, Mitsuru-_sama_." Zofie finished and the flashes cursed through Mitsuru's head.

_{Aya, I'll bring you back to life now. Alright?}  
{This… My fate… I'll change it!}  
{Ashikawa? ASHIKAWA!}_

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!" With a horrifying scream, Mitsuru fell to the ground like a lump. The last thing he heard was Wataru voice out his name.

As Mitsuru fell into the abyss of his mind he found himself looking at the far away image of a young him he couldn't recognize in clothes that he did not remember ever wearing.

"Hello." The young Mitsuru smiled at him as he floated closer to Mitsuru.

"Uh…hello." Mitsuru replied shyly, not knowing what to say. Except just one question. "Are you… me?"

"To be more precise, I'm the you that existed five years ago but disappeared when you were brought back to life to a different one from the one I lived in." The young Mitsuru explained.

"But you're still me, right?" Mitsuru asked with a frown.

"…Yes, that's correct." Young Mitsuru nodded to him.

"So the fact that you did all those things to reach to where I am now, still apply as I being the one who did them." Mitsuru looked a bit sad.

"And that is the reason why Wataru wanted to protect you. He didn't want you to know about what I did because you would have to learn the reason why I did those things in the first place. Yet… Wataru forgave me. He's really such a softie. Crying for the sake of others, getting angry for others, he doesn't learn when to stop or leave things be." Young Mitsuru laughed and Mitsuru could see the memories from when he interacted with Wataru.

_{You're… It had nothing to do with you, so wouldn't it have been better to just leave it be?}_

Young Mitsuru's laugh was like that as well. Then…Mitsuru realized something.

"You're…the one Wataru has a crush on." He blushed as he spoke. "Or more like, you're the one he wants to meet." Mitsuru began to ponder but Young Mitsuru laughed again.

"Wataru may have cared about me because he was so worried, but it's you whose happiness he wanted to protect. He didn't want you to feel the things I felt so he avoided any conversation that might spark your memory of your previous life, or rather, me. You already know what kind of answer to give him, don't you? Really… Everyone around me is such a softie." Young Mitsuru turned around.

"Hey, hold on! There's still a lot I need to ask you!" Mitsuru tried to extend his hand but young Mitsuru was already vanishing.

"Don't fret. Remember, I am you and you are me. I'm not going anywhere." Young Mitsuru told him and a bright light blinded Mitsuru, causing him to close his eyes. When Mitsuru opened his eyes, he saw a ceiling. Looking to his left, he saw a crying Wataru.

"Wataru…?" He called to his friend.

"I'm sorry…" Wataru apologized, not looking at Mitsuru.

_{I'm sorry.}_

'Aah… That's right. It was those cries that hurt my heart. That's the reason why I wanted to learn about the truth, so I wouldn't make him cry.' Mitsuru laughed at his foolishness. "Why do you need to apologize?" He asked Wataru, who looked shocked at Mitsuru.

_{Why do you need to apologize?}_

"Because…! Because…." Wataru looked pained.

_{Because…}_

"Stop right there." Mitsuru put a hand in between them. "I've been having nightmares about your cries. I'm sick of hearing them, so stop crying. Really…such a sof… No…" Mitsuru stopped himself. Those were the words reserved by the young Mitsuru. "You worry me when you cry, Wataru. I'd like you to smile for me, alright?" He sat up and put a hand on top of Wataru's head.

"Sor… Uh…" Wataru tried to think of something to say that didn't sound apologetic and Mitsuru retrieved his hand from Wataru's head to hide his laughter. At this, Wataru smiled widely.

"You're not mad at me?" Wataru felt a bit shy asking that.

_{And friends?}  
{Well...there's this one weird guy.}  
{Hehe...From the look of your face I can tell he's important to you.}_

"Nah." Mitsuru smiled and he placed the hand back on Wataru's head. "Zofie-_sama_ made me realized again." While Wataru was confused, Mitsuru got close and placed a kiss on Wataru's forehead. "You really are important to me."

"Wha… Wha…" Wataru had frozen and was trying to make sense of this. "What do you mean by that?" He yelled, backing away from Mitsuru who looked at his lonely hand.

"Well, since the person you like is inside me, making him me, then I thought I should reply to the numerous love confessions you've given me all this time without my realizing it." Mitsuru teased, enjoying how Wataru's blush only deepened.

"That…" Wataru began, taking a step back with the chair he was in. "That wasn't my intention at all!" He screamed, running away from the room and passing by Meena, who now stood in the doorframe, looking at Wataru run down the hallway.

"You didn't need to rush it." Meena told him, shaking her head as she brought him food.

"But I was just being courteous." Mitsuru joked, taking the food Meena offered him and thanking her for it. As he ate, Meena watched him curiously. She wondered what exactly about this sadist did Wataru like? "Besides, I'm sure Wataru will realize it soon. That he didn't need to run away from me like that." Mitsuru grinned and Meena sighed. She noticed him grab a piece of fruit and spoke up.

"That's a Bauwa-uwa fruit." Mitsuru noted that she was pointing to the fruit in his hand and he smiled.

"I see. It's good." Mitsuru smiled softly and ate the fruit completely, along with the rest of the food Meena brought him.

Once Mitsuru was done with the food, Meena took the tray away with her. Trying to decide what to do, Mitsuru knew he needed to apologize to the people in this world and help in whatever way he could. He knew many would probably not know who he was or might not forgive him, but it was a start to making things right. As he lay on the bed, he failed to notice a figure crawling on.

"Wataru?" Mitsuru was genuinely surprised by Wataru's audacity.

"Can I sleep by your side? I'm tired from all the crying I did today." Wataru revealed to him as he got comfortable. Smiling, Mitsuru nodded and wrapped the smaller boy in his arms. Wataru, who initially froze, relaxed himself in Mitsuru's arms and slowly fell asleep. Sighing with relief, Mitsuru soon followed suit.

"Meena-_san_, Meena-_san_. Please look." Zofie called Meena over with a wave of her hand as Kee Keeman and Kattsu, who had showed up in the afternoon, followed suit. Smiling, she opened the door slowly and revealed the scene of the two Travelers sleeping side-by-side. "See? It's better when everyone is honest." She spoke with a smile and closed the door again.

For now, their friends would let them rest as the two friends who were separated five years ago could now walk side-by-side. When they wake up, their friends would smile for them. Everything was okay now. No more lies, no more forgotten memories. From now on, they would be together as true friends.

**OWARI**

Sissy: Cookies to anyone who can guess what kind of line I wanted to end this with.  
Kody: Don't. Just don't.  
Sissy: (ignores) I felt kinda sad while I wrote this. After all, the movie has THAT kind of ending.  
Kody: It's a movie, what'd you expect? All Japanese movies have THOSE kinds of endings.  
Aoi: (slaps both on the head) Please forgive these two for being ambiguous.  
Sissy: (recovers) For anyone wondering, most of the flashbacks are translations done by me. I claim nothing! They're most likely not as good as fansubbers, but all I had to work with were WB translations and honestly, who the fudge writes "Let's play, Mitsuru." when the girl CLEARLY says "Welcome home, big brother". WHAT. THE. FUDGE? SUB FAIL. So I learned not to reference them, unless I've no idea what is being said. Honestly, my Japanese understanding is very low, people, so I will most likely have done some mistakes in the translation.  
Aoi: In any case, reviews are more than welcomed and please remember Sissy owns nothing except the angst/fluff idea to make this story. Is that too much?  
Sissy: I don't know. I just wanted to see something more after the movie so I made this. I recommend people to see it, it's cute. See you again sometime! (waves good-bye)


End file.
